


Recovery

by NYWCgirl



Series: Comfortember 2020 [30]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Medical Induced Coma, Recovery, Serious Injuries, Team as Family, Ventilator, takingc are of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27795004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Mac continues to heal.
Series: Comfortember 2020 [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995160
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25
Collections: Comfortember 2020, Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11





	Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for comfortember prompt nr. 30, Gretti_writes asked for the waking up part of a fic I wrote for Whumptember ‘I think I need a doctor.’ And it fills the ‘hospital stay’ square on my H/C Bingo card

The next time Mac wakes, he is welcomed by noises, hissing, beeping and shrill alarms that pierce in his ears. He wants to move away from them when a hand is placed on his arm.

‘Hey Mac, take it easy, you are intubated, leave the tube alone, it is there to help you breathe.’ Jack mumbles tiredly.

Mac instinctively brings his hand to his mouth, but there is something on his hand, preventing him from grabbing, so he tries to shake it off.

‘Mac, can you open your eyes?’

Mac tries but he can´t, he feels like his eyelids are weighted down.

‘Can you hear me Mac? Those things on your hands are mittens. You can’t take them off, they prevent you pulling out your tubes. Just go back to sleep kid. I’m here when you wake up again.’

Mac is relieved to hear Jack. If Jack is here, he is safe.

* * *

Mac wakes, laying on his side this time, he wants to turn on his back, but he can’t. Something is keeping him in this position. He focuses on it and it is soft, so probably a pillow. The things are still on his hands, he can feel them. He wants to see what they are so he concentrates on opening his eyes. Light pierces through his eyelids so he closes them again. Jack must have noticed because the lights are dimmed.

‘Hey Mac, good to see you awake!’

Mac wants to ask what happened but no sound comes out of his mouth, but pain rips through his throat.

‘Don’t try to talk. You injured your vocal cords when you extubated yourself.’

Extubated? Now that Jack mentions it, he can feel the tube in his throat and his eyes fly open. His hand goes to his mouth but now he sees the white mittens. He studies them curiously, already forgotten about the ventilator.

‘You with me kid?’

Mac’s brain slowly registers the voice and he looks up at it.

‘Hey kid, I guess you are with me this time, right?’

Mac looks back at the mittens, they are annoying and he tries to rube them off.

‘Leave them, you can’t get them off.’

Mac looks up at Jack again. He does his best to project his need for the mittens to come off.

‘I know kid, but you have to be patient, we need to be sure you aren’t gonna hurt yourself.’

He remember Jack telling him what happened but for some reason it eludes him. It is right there, but when he tries to access the memory, it is gone. The tube in his throat gives him a claustrophobic feeling. What happened that he needs a ventilator? He focuses on his body, there is pain, but it is deep, so he is sure he is on some heavy duty pain medication. So probably seriously injured. He can also tell the pain is lurking, it wants to break through. Maybe Jack can tell him what happened, so he lets his eyes roam over Jack but he can’t see any injuries on Jack.

‘You are doing good Mac.’

Mac can feel something cold travel up his chest and when it seems to reach his brain, it is hard to keep his eyes open.

‘Sleep Mac, you did good.’

* * *

Mac wonders how many times he has woken, but it appears it gets easier each time. Once again he is annoyed by the mittens. He tries to unfasten the Velcro but can’t so he huffs in annoyance.

‘Leave them mac. Do you want to do your exercises now or with Darnell?’

He is not sure what Jack means but it is logical that they want to keep him moving, even bed ridden, so he gestures to Jack.

‘OK, let’s get to it then.’

Jack takes Mac’s foot and rotating it, bending it. He repeats the exercise a couple of times and Mac does his best to assist him, although he has an idea his efforts are negligible at the moment. Jack gently puts his leg back on the bed, switching to the other one. When his legs has their work out, he moves to his arms. Mac hates being this depended. He needs to rely on others for all his bodily functions. And rationally he knows these people are used to it, but he isn’t. He wants his independence back. He wants the mittens off.

He must have fallen asleep again, because when he wakes Jack is not there.

A nurse enters and Mac opens his eyes. When she looks at him, he gestures to the mittens.

‘I know sweetheart and now that you are lucid, I’m willing to take them off if you promise to leave all the tubes and lines alone.’

Mac nods, holding his hands out. The nurse releases Mac’s hands and he slowly flexes his fingers. He gestures he wants to write so the nurse hands him a note pad and a pen.

**When out?**

‘That is up to the doctor.’

**What happened?**

‘I don’t have details, but you were hit by a car.’

Mac nods.

**Where is Jack?**

‘He went out to get a shower and have something to eat. He will be back soon. Do you want to stay in this position or shall I put you on your side?’

**Switch**

‘OK, here we go, let me get these tubes out of the way first.’

Mac blushes when he feels a pull on his catheter.

‘OK, there we go, sweetheart.’

She quickly and efficiently turns Mac on his side and the chance in position feels good. But with the movement the pain also becomes more pronounced. He hates the way the pain medication makes him feel, but the pain is worse. The nurse hands him a remote with a button.

‘It’s for the pain medication pump. Now that you are more awake, you will experience more pain, so you can control it yourself.’

Mac pushes it and he can feel the effect rather quickly, closing his eyes and let the medication wash over him.

* * *

Jack is talking to him, so he opens his eyes and looks directly in Jack’s who is sitting next to him.

‘Hey kid, I see they finally took the mittens off.’

Mac flexes his fingers. It feels good.

‘The doctor came by and is happy with your progress. They are planning on trying to take you off the vent.’

Mac shows a thumbs up.

‘Yeah, that is good news.’

Mac locates the pen and paper.

What happened?

‘You were hit by a car. We were chasing down a suspect and quicker than me. You ran in front of me onto the street when a car came out of nowhere. It was an accident, the driver couldn’t avoid you and he couldn’t see you coming out of the alley. It was a stupid accident.’

Mac puts his hand on Jack’s. It is clear Jack is still not over what he saw. The strange thing is that he can’t remember any of it. He hears Jack tell him what happened to him, but it could as well have been a citation out of a book. It doesn´t feel like it happened to him. His eyes are already slipping close. He hates how exhausted he is. But for now there is nothing he can do except rest and heal.


End file.
